CORE B: Physiology and Animal Resource Core SUMMARY The Physiology and Animal Resource Core B is a critical for the proposed research as it assists investigators with the equipment and expertise to facilitate in vivo and ex vivo physiological experiments in anesthetized and conscious rodents as well as to provide animals for the individual projects of the PPG. Core B will accomplish these goals by executing the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: To assist investigators in Projects 1 and 3 with: a)- chronic measurements of arterial pressure using telemetry probes; b)- osmotic mini-pump implantation for drug delivery; c)- functional determinations of cardiac dynamics using conductance catheters; d)- longitudinal analysis of cardiac structure and function by transthoracic echocardiography; e)-comprehensive analysis of blood flow (including coronary and renal arteries), organ perfusion using contrast imaging functionality on the Vevo LAZR and microbubble perfusion;, f)- use of a Langendorff apparatus for assessment of cardiac performance and metabolism; g)-cardiac microdialysis for biochemical analysis of interstitial fluid (ISF). Specific Aim 2: To provide animals for the individual projects of the PPG by: a) maintaining a breeder colony of cardiomyocyte-specific, doxycyline-inducible GPR30 knockout mice (GPR30KO) for the purposes of Project 3; b) overseeing the procurement of rats and mice from commercial vendors (Wistar-Kyoto and Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats, - Project 1; and C57Bl/6 mice - Project 3) and Transgenic Rat Facility of the Hypertension Vascular Research Center, Wake Forest University [rats harboring the complete genomic human angiotensinogen (AGT) gene [(hAGT)L1623 TG rats] and mRen2.Lewis rats] to meet scientific objectives in Projects 1 and 3; c) establishing colonies of transgenic rats expressing cardiac human chymase as well as double transgenic rats expressing human angiotensinogen and chymase for the scientific purposes of all Projects.